April 13, 2012
In browsing through my photos of flea market treasures, I’m reminded of what an adventure the vide greniers (flea markets) are for us. All week we scour the papers for Sunday markets in the area to figure out which ones might be the best.
On Sunday, vide grenier day, we get up very early to drive through fields still veiled in early morning mist to some sleepy village hidden deep in the countryside. When we arrive, there are already many cars parked in the pasture converted to a parking lot. The thrifty French love the markets as much as we do. It’s where they find clothes, cook ware, childrens toys, tools and more.
We rummage through heaps of plastic toys and old clothes in search of inspiring odds and ends to bring back to the studio. A vide grenier is heaven for mixed media assemblage artists and was a godsend for me when I was furnishing La Cascade. As a mixed media collage artist, I’m always on the lookout for old student copy books, vintage maps and official documents written in a notaire’s elegant script. Everyone finds a few wonderful things to work with or bring home and some manage to fill a suitcase with vide grenier treasures.
Lip rouge boxes
I found this in Emmaus, a French version of Salvation Army
From the collection of my flea market buddy, Sonja
Old lace always works for me.
I did a little antiquing on the photo itself, but the rust spots are real.
November 8, 2011
Suzanne Gibson, my sister, has the gift of seeing. Currently she’s passionate about photography and is focused on improving her already considerable skill. You might enjoy seeing her learning process in action at www.suzson.wordpress.com.
Here are some photographs she took when we were together this summer in Durfort . I think that most of the photos were taken within 10 kilometers of the house.
The fountain in the square of Soreze is a lovely subject to draw or photograph.
When we first rode our bikes in France fifteen years ago wearing our yellow helmets, everyone stopped to stare. Now even children on trikes wear helmets.
Airing out the bedding, a sunny-day ritual. Suzy’s good at catching little details of everyday life.
French windows can be charming. I especially appreciate the abundance of lace curtains. I spent a few happy hours working on the lace in the drawing below.
May 13, 2011
Well, it’s time to switch over to “French” mind; summer is coming and, along with it, my departure for France. I’ve been thinking about some of the things I’m looking forward to and “color” springs to mind. I can’t wait to see my colorful friends, my colorful La Cascade and of course the sunflowers against bright blue skies.
Toujours les tournesols
photo by Steve Rossman
Colorful La Cascade
La Cascade is full of color, the halls are Moroccan blue, the stairs are turquoise, the French doors are lime green, the coat rack is gold and the dining room is that reddish-gold you see throughout the South of France.
photo by Deborah Cogswell
photo by Teresa Camozzi
photo by Lindy Trenholm
Colorful friends.
Veronique Follet is an artiste extrodinaire who creates haute couture chapeaux out of plastic bags and things that other people put in the recycle bin. Vero and her husband Bernard have a chambre d’hote down the road from us which houses one of the most interestingly bizarre small museums east of Toulouse. It’s a collection that goes way beyond kitsch to the land of indescribably bad taste….outrageous! When you visit La Cascade, don’t miss the little museum in The Moulin du Chapitre. Next year I’ll have some photos of it.
Veronique
Dayle wearing a Veronique creation
